Marc Martínez: "Theater is a mission. So is family. And I decided to stay with the latter."

Marc Martínez has just turned sixty and is premiering a new film. Balandrauabout the tragic events of December 2000 in the Pyrenees. He plays Siscu, the volunteer firefighter from Camprodon who led the rescue efforts. He looks back on his career, his beginnings, his profession, the thrill of acting, theater as an essential school, and his memories of Land and freedom and Waiting for Godot...the precariousness... and the legacy in his son León, also an actor.

Let's start with the most current news, which is BalandrauAnd with Siscu. Watching the film, one gets the feeling that the character suits him, that he's lived it deeply, that he's really immersed himself in it. Was that the case?

— What's in it for me? It's so nice of you to tell me, because I think that's what Fernando Trullols thought. I kept asking him, "But why me? Are you sure?" Because it was all paperwork! On the one hand, it's wonderful to hear this; and on the other, I always try to immerse myself in the characters, and it's true that I've connected a lot with many aspects of Siscu. Getting to know his friends, his space, his territory has helped me immensely. When you're portraying a person, not a character, that's a whole different ballgame for an actor.

Unfortunately, he couldn't...

— No, he died exactly one year before we were supposed to start. In fact, we had already planned to meet and work together, but one day Fernando called me and told me that Siscu was no longer there.

He's a firefighter, a snow rescuer, very physical, but at the same time you can really feel the emotion he contains.

— I always try to do this, to bring humanity. For me, it's the most important thing. And in this case, it was already there, because Siscu was very, very, very charismatic. I'd walk around town when we were making the film and people would point at me: "That's Siscu." It was a bit like when we made A Streetcar Named Desire In the theater, they told me I'd be playing Marlon Brando. I'd say, "Man, no, I'll try to play myself by portraying Kowalski." Understand him, get to know him, and then create your own story. In this case, it was very easy to understand Siscu.

Does playing a real person affect him?

— It does influence things, yes. And I always ask questions, I ask a lot. From the script to character preparation and during filming. We usually ask questions and question ourselves, but in that case, I'd say it was almost like an obsession, because it was so ingrained in me. My friends were already tired of my calls! "How would Siscu say this?" "What would Siscu do here?" We actors ask a lot of questions. We do a lot of detective work, and I'm especially insistent, not to say relentless.

I don't think it would get tiresome...

— Maybe so, huh? I went around asking everyone. I'd go into the shops in Camprodon and immediately ask, "What did you know about him?" And they'd look at me and say, "Come on, who didn't know Siscu?" And I'd go into another shop and ask...Go for it!"That's what Rubianes said. And they had to come and get me out of there. Investigating is the part I like most about my job. Poor Siscu had left us, but he was very much alive among the people."

You recently turned 60, and you yourself say you're in the prime of your life. Explain that to me.

— I just like getting older. Even as a child, I wanted to be older. I've always wanted to be older. And when I finally started to become older, I was happy. And now that I can say I'm older, I'm holding up quite well and I can play characters like Siscu, who at the time of the events, in 2000, was 50 or 51 years old.

Are you describing a certain feeling of fulfillment?

— Definitely. I'm doing very well, I'm happy, I'm starting to get to know myself. And that's good. It's taken me a while, but I've persevered to achieve it. I'm surrounded by wonderful people, by young people, who give me that spark, that strength, that life.

I read on his Instagram that he says he only understood a few years ago what it truly means to be an actor.

— Now I'm going back to doing theater after seven years. And this is like starting all over again. I like learning, enjoying things. I'm slow, I'm a Capricorn, and I like to do things very well; I'm a perfectionist. I still say I act rather than saying I am an actor.

Well, he's been "acting" for many years now...

— I've been an actor my whole life. I've enjoyed it a lot, but I've also suffered a lot, you know? And it's only now, with age, the passage of time, and the weight of the years, that I've understood some things. My role as an actor has been important. coachingThe help, the support for the actors. I really enjoy this work. So much! Infinitely!

He has directed theatre, but not film. Would he have liked to?

— I would have loved to, but I was too late. I come from the theater, and that's how I've learned to value, to enjoy, and to understand that there are beautiful and positive aspects, and also others that aren't so great, but that you must also embrace them because they are part of the profession and of life. Young people talk about it a lot these days, about embracing. My son León says it a lot.

She says she has suffered. What has she suffered from?

— Acting, performing. I've suffered, yes. Why? Because when you give your body, your heart, and your mind, it can even be delicate. You play your instrument, but there's a conductor, a team, a production, and it's a complicated task. A process in which you sometimes suffer, because it's not always easy to understand the director. Directing is a gift, and for me, the essential requirement for directing is knowing how to lead people, how to guide them.

So it doesn't always happen?

— There are people who have artistic talent, but their directing skills are sorely lacking. And that's where my suffering begins. It's hard to act, to repeat, to persevere, to reach places you never want to reach in your life. Never, never, never. But you have to do it, do it very well, and do it better than everyone else, because otherwise they won't hire you. And you have to shout, and you have to jump, and you have to kill.

Any examples?

— The matayas of Night and dayThere was a series of scenes where I had to run a lot. I was in shape, yes, but I had to run like there was no tomorrow. And run and run and run, and I had a breakdown: "I can't do it anymore!" And the crew told me: "Yeah, but we still have eight sequences left, and they're all running sequences." I ended up completely exhausted. Very difficult, very hard.

After seven years, she returned to acting. I get the feeling she missed it.

— Yes a lot.

And why did he go so many years without doing it?

— Theater is a mission. So is family. And I decided to focus on the latter. It was too difficult to concentrate on my role as a father and have to leave home to be at the theater an hour early. Having my son in an after-school activity and then having someone else bathe him when we got home. I couldn't do it, I just couldn't.

And his partner is also an actress.

— Yes. We had a little girl and I was selling another one. And I said, "Look, I'll do an Artur Mas, I'll step aside." I'd been going on for many years without stopping. Thirty-five years, maybe.

From a very young age.

— I started doing theater when I was very young, and I've experienced so many wonderful things on stage that when I decided to stop, I was at peace, I was absolutely certain. The thing is, after a while, I began to feel like something was missing. Yes, the stage.

They call it poison, right?

— Yes, that's right. I went a year without going to the theater as a spectator, and when I went back I always had to go with someone because I needed to hold on. I get emotional. [Her voice breaks for a few seconds]

[...]

— And more than once I've had to leave. The emotion was too strong. And then you think you're not handling it well. I like life! I like work too, but because it's part of my life. And if I can do the things I love in my life, I'm happy.

One of my most precious theatrical memories is Waiting for Godot, in the Libre.

— Look at my arm, goosebumps. This production was incredible. It left a mark on us. For many reasons, but above all because of the human element, starting with Lizaran, of course. Eduard Fernández was my friend. With Oreja, we were like brothers. But Lizaran was different. She might be one of the reasons I ended up doing this. I remember her at the Lliure when they used to take me there when I was 14. And she'd walk by with her violet perfume, and I'd say, "I want to do this."

It was also very important Super Rawal, his first theatrical direction.

— Exactly. I poured my heart and soul into it. It was my first novel. It was the first time the author within me had awakened. I'm very happy.

Ivan Morales was an actor, now a renowned author and theater director, and also a new film director with Breakfast with me.

— I'm also very proud. Of having helped him and that he's followed that path. We're friends, we're like brothers. He's building a career that's something I wanted to do. Directing films was on my horizon. Yes, I would have liked to.

How did he get into filmmaking?

— In Madrid, I was constantly watching movies. When Santiago Segura and I were friends, we went to the cinema every day to see one or two films. We practically lived in the cinema. Streaming platforms didn't exist back then, but we had the cinemas. It was an addiction. And in Sitges, it was the same. I'd start at eight in the morning and go until night without stopping. And I was happy! I was happy and I thought, "Someday I'm going to study this." And to think, chess didn't even exist back then. But now, if I could and I had a cool dad, I'd tell him, "Dad, I'm going to make films." I ask my son if he wants to study film. He really likes it, and he writes reviews on some apps or other. He has a unique perspective.

How did he end up in Madrid?

— Wow! When I was 19 or 20, I was forty. With a dossier, or a sheet of paper and some photos, I'd hop on a bus to Madrid. There were no websites. Nothing. I had several addresses and knocked on doors. I knew where Colom lived and went to see him. Jordi Mulla went to see Almodóvar and sat there until he came out.

And did it go well?

— I knew that Madrid was the place to call the shots. There was very little going on in Barcelona. I had done The Plot of the Rings with Francesc Bellmunt, and it had gone very well. I was 19, I'd done some theater work, and I knew I was going to end up in Madrid. And work very hard. I was going back and forth. I'd stay for three months, half a year, a year. Once, for three years! And I kept finding people, getting to know them, and looking for an agent.

He did a lot of work.

— Yes, musicals, theater with Mario Gas. And series. And a few films. I've always said I've been like a half-hearted team. And now some people tell me I'm like Athletic Bilbao.

Oh yeah?

— Yes, but it makes me angry. I don't like it. Because I'm not much of an Atlético fan. But as a football fan myself, I understand. I understand what they mean. To always be there, a certain presence, a merit. To endure.

Patience?

— Yes, I have a lot. I can endure a lot. I have a garden and I've cultivated that grace. I've persevered. And that's why I'm here.

One of the things he seems really happy to have done is Land and freedom.

— Look, these past few days I've been organizing photos. I have thousands. I've sorted some and sent a lot away. Shitty photos, duplicates... And I've also sent a few. In Oreja, for example, I sent photos of Land and freedomPhotos from 35 years ago. I could imagine who Ken Loach was because I had seen his films at Verdi, or Casablanca, or Publi. But who would have told me that I would work with him?

How was it?

— It was through Mónica López, who was my partner at the time. She was going to audition for the film and told me I had to go too. I wasn't sure about it at all, and she said she'd make me go. I did, and after a casting call, they cast me as Captain Vidal.

AND?

— Wow, brilliant! Starting with him, with Loach, a guy who's exactly the same age as my father, and considering what he's meant to me, to my career. What consistency he has. A film like this, a story about the Spanish Civil War, told by a foreigner. Incredible!

How do you remember the filming?

— The whole team set up a sort of training camp to make things happen. A month of military instruction. All of us getting to know each other, singing, digging trenches... It created a real atmosphere... I called my mother and told her I was leaving, that I was quitting. But I was the captain, I couldn't leave! Ken said to me, "Lucky!" I told him, "It's just that those people don't listen to me." And he said, "Wake up. You'd be in the same boat in the war."

What was Ken Loach like?

— I'll tell you with an anecdote. Actors are rude. A real jerk. Actors and actresses. In the restaurant, when the waiter came, everyone was talking and no one was listening to him. And Ken would get up, tell us to be quiet, and shake his hand. "Hello, good morning. What's your name?" And the waiter, of course, was amazed. "My name is Pepe." "Hello, Pepe. How are you?" I'd never seen anything like it. And I thought: "This guy's something else."

Recently, several actors and actresses have spoken about their experiences of precarious employment. Have you experienced it?

— This word is pretty harsh, isn't it? For the first thirty years of my career, I was constantly working. I didn't have as many scripts on my nightstand as Eduard Fernández, but I always had work and combined television, theater, and film. I look back and remember seeing colleagues who weren't so lucky, who couldn't get one job after another. I can be doing well and at the same time have someone next to me who's working as an extra and who, thirty years ago, was a leading actor.

So, are you happy?

— Look, there have been times of instability, of being unemployed and having to be resourceful and save. I think I've done pretty well, but not everyone knows how to earn money, save, and budget in case they have to go a year without making any films. We're a profession that's too prone to self-importance.

Tell me more about it.

— Historically, we've been given too much importance. Because of the glamour and all that. And we're not that important. Culture is, sure? But actors and actresses aren't. In the machine, in the machinery, in the system... they're interested in us being important. Why? Well, because Lay's potato chips need to be advertised because supermarkets need to sell a lot of them. And who advertises them? Well, those glamorous types of people.

Money, always money.

— Money is still a taboo subject in our profession. There's money involved, and it seems like we can't talk about it. Producers often tell us that these topics don't need to be discussed. Fees, resource allocation... And that's always been a bit of a thorn in my side. There should be a course dedicated to these kinds of issues at the Institut del Teatre.

Do you need a representative, a lawyer, or a manager?

— You need it! "I don't have it repre"!", many say. "You don't even have repre "You won't even get one!" Having an agent is really hard. You can get some photos taken and wait to get on board. It's complicated, getting in isn't so easy. But then, when you're on board, you have a contract, and conditions, and a union... And they don't tell you any of that. You have to learn it yourself. The hard way.

Good, but you've learned it. That's fine.

— Yes, I've learned that. It happens in every profession, you know? My grandmother makes cakes and she's very good at them, and she also suffered a lot to become head pastry chef at the Hotel Majestic. Lotteries? Yes, there are some, but it all blows out of proportion. If you win the lottery but you're not well advised, you can get a nasty shock.

In their generation of actors, now around sixty years old, most are children of the theater. A generation that brings joy.

— It was difficult for us, because we were nobody. I wanted to be hippie And I was late. I wanted to be progressive And I was late too. And I wondered, "What about us, those of us who lived through the '80s?" In Madrid there was the Movida. Here, the Movida was more intellectual, more underground, more of a street fair. For us, those of us who are now sixty, what was truly important was the theater. We all have a very strong foundation in theater, in the stage, in hard work.

Is today different?

— The thing is, you can't say this today. It's politically incorrect. Why? Because practically no one studies acting to do theater anymore. People now want to start by doing a Netflix series. When I play coach To help young actors, very few people want to prepare for a theater audition. And the reality is that there are very few auditions. Theater families are more closed off. Yes, there are auditions for the National Theater, for the Lliure... but we all know each other in theater. It's complicated.

Now they are looking for many non-actors.

— "We're looking for 16-year-old North African brides." And they say, "You don't have to be an actress." What are they looking for? They're looking for people. And that's where the non-actor actor, or "the natural actor," as they're called now, comes in. Yes, a plumber who's a plumber.

Does that sound good to you?

— Yes, I do. I stand by it. I have friends my age who don't understand it. I always try to listen first, to see if I can understand it. And if you listen carefully, if you really pay attention, you can come to understand it, because it's a different kind of cinema. To make Land and freedomKen Loach told me to show him my hands. I showed him my hands and he saw hands full of calluses, of working classI was looking for this, I was looking for a person.

We're back Land and freedom.

— And he asked me, "If there were a war, would you kill?" I didn't hesitate for three seconds before answering, "Probably." He needed that answer, that possibility, that testing ground. Because if I had said, "No, no, I wouldn't kill," what would that have shown? That I was a well-rounded actor? He needed something else.

How have you experienced the revelations of cases of harassment, sexism, and abuse of power in the world of acting?

— I completely understand. Abuse and harassment have always existed in all areas. But in ours, there are many more amplifying factors. If someone is abused who is on TV, well-known, and has a large following, it's different than when a woman who works in a clothing store or a bar is abused. I remember going to a school theater and seeing how the teacher was mistreating the children. How she was shouting! I had to stop her and tell her that this couldn't be allowed. It's normal for young people, when they feel attacked, to empower themselves and react.

This didn't happen before.

— No, she remained silent. "No, don't tell anyone, because that person who boos you, who treats you badly, is a wonderful person who has been touched by God, by a magic wand."

Have you seen that?

— Me and all my colleagues. We can go back to Balandrau?

Of course.

— Fernando Trullols was the ideal director to make it because he's a good person. Now imagine if, instead of him, they'd chosen some jerk. It would be a completely different film, where the most important thing would perhaps be the cloud, the explosion, the storm... and not the people.

I can't finish without mentioning León, his actor son. He's already starred in a film, Llobás.

— Yes, and she just finished another one in the Basque Country. A very beautiful, very challenging role. She really likes trying new things, she's very adventurous. If it turns out she wants to do this and it makes her happy and gives her pleasure, I'll support her.

What has he conveyed to you?

— Don't think much of it. He's very independent, not a loyal dog, he does his own thing. If you ask Eduard Fernández about Greta, he'll probably say the same. León has come to many rehearsals and I've taken him on tour. I remember he used to hide in the basket of The Diamond Square Because he couldn't take any more of the theater. But of course, it's in his blood, and he's become hooked on that theater and film bug. León is an artist, that much I know. He also paints and plays guitar. He has a knack for composition, and I'm waiting for him to send me a demo. He's very young. He'll be 22, but I see him as a kid. He has all the time in the world.